Brackenridge Country Retreat & Spa

“Overnight for work solo”

I was lucky enough to spend the night here on a work trip. I have visited the spa at Brackenridge before but this was my first time staying here. I was a tad skeptical as I read previous reviews whilst waiting to board my flight. Honestly, it’s a pleasure to be here. This is an estate - the buildin… more

I was lucky enough to spend the night here on a work trip. I have visited the spa at Brackenridge before but this was my first time staying here. I was a tad skeptical as I read previous reviews whilst waiting to board my flight. Honestly, it’s a pleasure to be here. This is an estate - the buildings and area hold history and there are teeny tiny minor maintenance issues like with accomodation minor things need kept on top of but these do not detract from how much is on offer here. Things I love, the underfloor heating, the character wooden doors and panelled kitchen cupboards, the bath was bliss to relax in, the bed and furniture are comfortable- the units are tastefully decorated and the little functional fireplace in the deluxe studio is just excellent…I didn’t need to use it as we are almost in summer but take it from me … you’ll appreciate it in the colder months. The grounds are well manicured and communication regarding my late check in was excellent. Local continental breakfast produce is available- fresh eggs, local sourdough bread slices. Nz spreads and butter, apple juice and milk. The uni is spacious. Wifi u it s free and without an annoying password - yay! I grabbed a 1/4 bottle of wine so I could have a glass with my dinner - my only regret was that I didn’t have more wine as I soaked in the bath. I brought my own dinner and just heated it up in the microwave. A hot plate and crockery are in the cupboard. I stayed in unit 15, it has been lovely! My only suggestion would be to offer a pre-order / pre-paid cheese and meat platter which would save having to sort dinner when short on time. Overall I would stay again. Thank you for your efforts during such tough hospitality times.

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“A great find”

We spent four happy nights in this most thoughtfully designed resort on a spacious country property. An excellent gym and long salt water lap pool a special feature ( we didnt try the spa)Our studio had a king size very comfortable bed and the free breakfast was very good... we would just add yog… more

We spent four happy nights in this most thoughtfully designed resort on a spacious country property. An excellent gym and long salt water lap pool a special feature ( we didnt try the spa)Our studio had a king size very comfortable bed and the free breakfast was very good... we would just add yoghurt and fresh fruit. We would rate it 5 stars if some of the furniture could be rethought and a laundry reserved for guests.

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“Nice enough but could be better”

We stayed in a studio room. If you want peace and quiet, then this is the place for you! Initially, I was a bit hesitant due to previous review however my first impressions were good. The room and space were lovely! OK, get that the space is dated and somethings need tending too (paint scratches, … more

We stayed in a studio room. If you want peace and quiet, then this is the place for you! Initially, I was a bit hesitant due to previous review however my first impressions were good. The room and space were lovely! OK, get that the space is dated and somethings need tending too (paint scratches, mould on the bathroom tiles, lichen on the outdoor wood trellis etc). But, On the plus side, room size was good, great natural light with a nice grassy olive tree outlook, and there was a workstation desk on one side and a bedside tray table on the other with 2 comfy chairs at the end of the bed for watching telly. The bedside lamps tend to shed ample light (so if your partner needs dark to sleep, bring a book light). The lighting is adjustable but not too bright. There is a quiet heat pump should you need. Parts of the bathroom has adjustable underfloor heating. Our toilet was faulty as it carried on ‘hissing’ after a flush (my partner fixed it after a midnight flush) but Brackenridge need to check this out to remedy it. The shower is spacious and has a fold-down seat and non-slip bathmat provided. Bathroom had plentiful, towels and tissues, hand & body washes, conditioning shampoo, toilet paper, etc. and nice, clean and spacious. The little kitchen area (at the entrance) had all the crockery and cutlery you would need for a comfortable stay for 2 people (including a couple of bubbly glasses as well as water & wine ones). Eggs and frozen bread, cereals, coffee (for plunger), spreads, milk, apple juice, tea bags, S & P and cooking oil were plentiful. Now, luckily, we bought a couple of ramekins with us (not everyone does this, I know) and we used these to do experientially learning on how to microwave eggs. Not sure how to avoid ‘explosions’ but the best result was had with mine when I began with 25 seconds and kept going with 5 second burst until the egg looked cooked (around about 45 secs in total (no guarantees). T had 'explosions' with his eggs. This was all because the hotplate provided didn’t work, the left element did not heat up at all and the right element heated up for about 3 mins and turned itself off so I can’t see how it was possible to cook anything with it other than warming water! I did a walk around the complex; the cottages are probably the quieter options (as they are further back from the road (not that the studios were noisy mind!). I thought the whole complex scenically was a bit boring (just look at previous photos) They do not look ‘pretty’ or even inviting or interesting. Nothing wrong with lots of fields of grass with the odd tree but there needs to be more landscaping or gardening to make the place more appealing. Outside each cottage are a pair of planters outside the front door with some foliage or tree in it but nothing else to add colour or anything of interest. There is plenty of scope here, I am not a landscaper but why not a bed of roses, some colourful flower beds or outdoor feature (pétanque pitch, outdoor chess set, fountain/water feature, pond, sculptures (I saw one outside the gym entrance). The outdoor woodwork and concrete fences could do with a good waterblast to get rid of the lichen and dirt. Nothing wrong with quiet and peaceful but I did think it was just a bit boring visually. Outside each studio, there is small table and a couple of chairs which were very handy for afternoon/evening relaxing wine downs and al fresco breakfasts. I do recommend that management consider a little table for between the inside comfy chairs (as al fresco dining is not really an option in winter). That all said, I did enjoy my stay but would I return? Unsure/ possibly a 'yes'. Note that there was booking availability here whereas many places in Martinborough & Greytown of the similar price point were booked out way beforehand. This place is located a very short 4-minute drive from centre of Martinborough and does have a very good gym and length swimming room (nothing in there except for the pool, some plastic plants in here could enhance the décor). The spa facilities were not open while we were there but due to open on 17 January 2023 again. It does cater for events such as weddings in a function room behind reception. The were also adequate double power points on both sides of the bed and While no Wifi password was required, it did require you to 're-connect' each time you needed to use it (yust slightly annoying; perhaps Brackenridge could review this setting and allow 'pairing' automatically, but that may require a password). I think some investment needs to be put into the whole complex to ‘juosh’ it up otherwise, it is going to miss out and in hindsight, there are many "pluses" going for this place but updating is needed!

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“Disappointed as spa wasn’t actually open”

We booked a few months in advance and were really looking forward to enjoying some treatments at the spa. Unfortunately the spa was closed - I understand it’s difficult to get staff these days to work over the early Jan period- peak tourist season and lots of places around Martinborough were also … more

We booked a few months in advance and were really looking forward to enjoying some treatments at the spa. Unfortunately the spa was closed - I understand it’s difficult to get staff these days to work over the early Jan period- peak tourist season and lots of places around Martinborough were also closed. Had we known a bit earlier we probably would have gone somewhere else and avoided Martinborough. We booked a deluxe studio and it was lovely and quiet, the room itself was reasonably well equipped, although a little tired. The bed was quite soft. The staff we met were friendly and helpful.

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